[unreadable] The modern era of human body composition research involves new methodology development, compartment modeling, and its translation to understanding growth, aging, and disease processes. Whether it is the study of childhood or adult obesity, weight gain or loss, metabolic function or disease, an understanding of which body components are of clinical relevance is important. The proposed 2.5 day symposium with its theme "Body Composition & Metabolic Function Across the Lifespan" will convene most of the leading scientists in their respective fields who are involved in body composition research. The objectives of this symposium include: the dissemination of up-to-date information on new and potential future developments in the field of body composition research with clinically relevant end-points; the dissemination of research findings arising from recent scientific investigations that demonstrate the importance/utility of measuring body composition for the understanding of clinically important questions; a review of the advances made in the last 3 years in body composition research, with particular emphasis on translational aspects of the advances (with application to clinical research-growth, aging, obesity, and diseases); encouragement of young investigators to attend to further the objective of training new investigators in the field; and publication of the conference proceedings in a journal stressing the important issues discussed. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]